At the time of writing this the North Island is in the middle of a cyclone. So many areas are flooded, power is out and the devastation is soul destroying. I am sure that our hearts go out to those of you that have been affected, have had your homes flooded and your belongings destroyed. I live in Thames and although the Coromandel is totally cut off with slips and flooding, we have come through better than most. A lot of surface flooding but the water is draining relatively quickly. The main road out is now open. Let’s hope for some sunshine in the next few weeks.
Planning is well under way for the Great NZ Quilt Show. It is exactly a month to go for the entries to be in for the quilt show. March 15th is the closing date so I hope you have got yours in, or at least getting it ready to enter. Here are a few snippets of what is happening.
At the last Quilt Show the workshops proved to be very popular and there were many requests for more, so we have taken that on board and have five very different workshops to suit all levels. Mary Jane Sneyd and Sue Roper are South Island Tutors very seldom seen in the North Island. Melissa Gelder is offering Free Form Improv Piecing and Charlotte is using Hand Dyed Silk Organza to create beautiful trees and triangles. All of these tutors are offering a variety of techniques. Once you have mastered the technique you can adapt it for use in other projects. I attended Sue Ropers workshop on Collage at symposium. A different one to what she is offering here and I found it great fun and totally different to the applique work that I would normally do.
We have sixteen merchants booked so this gives you every opportunity to spend money. Apart from the main members exhibition several other Textile Art groups and some of the AQ Regional groups are exhibiting their work.
Please think about donating a quilt to give to The Maori Womens Welfare League. They do a wonderful job of helping families in need in Rotorua and we all know that there are many people in that category. If you donate a quilt you go into a lucky draw prize for that day.
There will be Prize giving on the 12th May and a Members Breakfast on the 14th May. Merrilyn George is our guest speaker at the breakfast. Community quilts will be presented. Shortly we will give you more information about these two functions and you will be asked to fill in an attendance form for catering purposes.
To make this show a success we do need your help. Can you volunteer your services for a 2 hour shift and get free entry into the show for that day? If the answer is yes please look further on in this newsletter, reply and we will get back to you to confirm a job. There are many jobs that you will be able to help with and we would appreciate any assistance you can give.
Wow the sun is shining. What a difference a day can make!
Looking forward to seeing you all in May.
Regards Valda Sutton, President and Convener of TGNZQS 2023
